Jesus and Algorithms

Scripture

“Be careful not to practise your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.….So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by others. …. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. …. ‘And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others.”

(Matthew 6:1-5 NIVUK)

Jesus and Algorithms

On occasion one of you will “like” one of these little missives of mine on Facebook, LinkedIn or one of other the places we post to. That produces more “views” and as we know then an “algorithm” can kick in and create traffic and interest – and we get more “views”.  It is insidious, occasionally addictive but can be corrosive to our souls. It’s a good platform for our message but if I tailor the message to trigger the algorithm, I’m in trouble.

While listening to Jesus’ words about motivations for our piety, prayer and philanthropy I thought how insightful he is in assessing the dangers of social media. We present ourselves in the best light possible, our tastes and attitudes are tracked and employed by algorithms to get our attention and feed our predispositions and prejudices.

Organizations and individuals pay to raise their profiles on social media because being a celebrity at whatever level, getting “known” is more important than doing good whether anyone knows about it or not. Yet staying true to the call of our loving God empowers our freedom to serve, preserves our attention and deadens the siren call of the algorithm.

Recognition and reputation are valuable if they are based on quiet character that we see in one another. If the desire for applause, recognition and celebrity drives our actions we become corrupted. Jesus knew this test of human character and faced it down. Having a profound but private relationship with the Father empowered his love and sacrifice for us all.

A Prayer for Today

God of truth and love, protect us from our need for attention, recognition and applause for their own sake. Fill our deep human need for love and affirmation by Your love and affirmation, often expressed through true friends and companions. Let us be authentically committed to do good and free to develop healthy reputations …. For Jesus’ sake